Haven’t had to rotate pans as much either, which is a plus when I’m juggling dinner and laundry.
That’s exactly what sold me on convection too. When we remodeled our kitchen, I figured it was worth the upgrade since I’m always multitasking. The first time I roasted potatoes, they actually browned evenly—no more half-crispy, half-soggy trays. I will say, though, sometimes cookies bake a little too fast on the edges if I forget to drop the temp. Still, being able to switch back to conventional mode is handy for old family recipes that just don’t turn out right otherwise.
I totally get the multitasking thing—anything that saves me a step is a win. I hesitated on convection at first because of the price, but honestly, it’s paid off in time and less wasted food. Curious if anyone’s tried baking bread in convection? I’ve heard mixed things about crusts turning out too hard, but haven’t tested it myself yet.
- Tried baking sourdough in my convection oven a few times—mixed results.
- Noticed the crust gets a bit too thick and crunchy for my taste, almost like it dries out faster. That said, the inside bakes evenly, which is a plus.
- I’ve read that lowering the temp by 20-25 degrees helps, but honestly, I still prefer using the conventional setting for bread. Feels more forgiving, especially if I get distracted rearranging the kitchen or picking paint swatches mid-bake.
- For pastries or anything that needs a crisp finish, convection is great. Bread just seems to need that gentler heat, at least in my experience.
- The time savings are real, though. If you’re tight on schedule, convection’s hard to beat... just maybe keep an eye on the crust.
I get what you mean about the crust—convection can definitely turn a loaf into a brick if you’re not careful. But I’ve actually had some luck by adding a pan of water to the oven for steam, even with convection running. It softens the crust just enough, and I find it helps with that “dried out” feeling.
“Bread just seems to need that gentler heat, at least in my experience.”
I used to think that too, but after a few tweaks, convection’s grown on me for bread. Maybe it’s just stubborn optimism, but with the right adjustments, it can be pretty forgiving—even when I’m knee-deep in paint samples myself.
Convection’s a bit of a wild card, isn’t it? I used to swear by the old-school oven in my kitchen—probably older than I am, honestly—because I figured the gentler heat was just safer for bread. But after my convection fan got fixed (long story involving a squirrel and some questionable wiring), I started experimenting. The pan of water trick really does help, especially if you’re after that chewy crust instead of something you could use as a doorstop.
I still get nervous about overbaking, though. My first few tries with convection, I ended up with loaves that could double as self-defense weapons. Now I just drop the temp by about 20 degrees and keep an eye on things. It’s not foolproof, but it’s made my sourdough less... well, intimidating.
Funny how much trial and error goes into something as “simple” as bread. Half the time I’m juggling timers with one hand and scraping paint chips with the other. At least the house smells good, even if my kitchen looks like a disaster zone.